Fair Wear director Erica van Doorn talks sustainable sourcing at WTO conference

GENEVA – ‘The race to the bottom must stop in the garment industry’, said FWF director Erica van Doorn during the WTO Public Forum ‘Inclusive Trade’ on Monday. During a soapbox debate, she talked about how responsible business practices can contribute to more sustainable development.

For the ‘Inclusive Trade’ public forum, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) took the garment sector as a prime example of an industry where cross-border business transactions are manifold. During the debate, Erica talked about the work that FWF member companies do to improve conditions in their supply chain. She called for more transparency and accountability of garment companies.

Under the theme ‘Inclusive Trade’, the WTO wanted to start discussion among heads of state, global businesspeople, academics and non-governmental organisations on how WTO rules can help to ensure everyone benefits from trade. The debate was a good opportunity for FWF to be able to show how companies’ actions can contribute to more inclusive trade and inspire other actors like government- and business representatives.

Erica van Doorn will continue the conversation about responsible sourcing in garment supply chains in Bangladesh this week where she will attend the Sustainable Sourcing conference.